Classic Land Rover Defender Works V8 Islay Edition Revealed
The folks at Land Rover have been incredibly busy, it seems. From a special edition 130 to a special edition of the classic Defender. Should you fancy one of the latter, LR has revealed the first heritage-themed special edition Defender dubbed the “Classic Defender Works V8 Islay Edition”.
It’s a mouthful, but if you are wondering how they’ve come up with the name, it’s named after the Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the Land Rover nameplate was born.
Based on the same technical specification as the Classic Defender Works V8, the Islay Edition gets unique exterior features such as the Heritage Grey shade informed by the Mid-Grey colour worn by Wilks’ original Defender car. Wilks is one of the founders of Land Rover.
Other features include a contrast roof, heavy-duty steel wheels in Limestone, traditional Land Rover logos and badging finished in body colour, a classic-style grille, rear mudflaps that boast the heritage branding and LED headlights to give the SUV a modern look. On the side, the V8 Islay Edition features the graphic reading ‘GXC 639C’, which serves as a reminder of the Wilks’ Series IIa.
Land Rover Classic has also tweaked the suspension and braking systems for enhanced on-road performance and driving dynamics.
Regarding the interior, it gets luxurious Windsor Ebony leather on the seats, side trim, doors, roof lining and dashboard. There is a centre console finished in the Defender’s colour and a classic infotainment system that features satellite navigation, radio and Bluetooth.
There is a wide range of unique features inside, such as a heritage logo on the steering wheel, seat headrests, and carpeted footwells.
Powering the Land Rover Defender Classic Works V8 Islay Edition is a naturally-aspirated 5.0-litre V8 engine that delivers 298 kW and 515 Nm of torque. It sprints from 0-100 km/h in 5.6 seconds and will continue accelerating until it reaches 170 km/h while shifting through an 8-speed ZF automatic gearbox.
Land Rover Classic says only 30 examples of the Classic Defender Works V8 Islay Edition will be made; 17 will be of the 90 variants, and 13 will be available as the 110 models.
